The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-26
CHAPTER V,


The deliberately untruthful account
which Mr.. Mott gave his daughter Of de
Ferrieres' sudden departure was more for
tunate than his usual equivocations. While
it disappointed and slightly mortified her,
| it did not seem to her inconsistent with
what she already knew Of him. "Said his
doctor had ordered him to quit town I'M
der an hour, owing to comm attack of
rim parts waitin' him at the Springs,
Rosey," explained Mott, hesitating be-
tween his desire to avoid his daughters
| eyes and his wish to observe here counte-
nance.
| "Was he worse?--I mean did he look
badly, father" inquired Rosey thought
fully.
~ reckon not exackly bad. Kinder
| looked ez If he mout be worse soon eff he
didn't hump hisself"
"Did you see him?--in his room?" asked
Rosey anxiously. Upon the answer to
this simple question depended the future
confidential relations Of father and
daughter. If her father had himself de-
tected the means by which his lodger ex-
listed she felt that her own obligations to
secrecy had been removed. But Mr..
| Motifs answer disposed of this vain hope.
1t was a response after his usual fashion
to the question he imagined she artfully
wished to ask, /. c. If he had discovered
their rendezvous Of the previous night.
This it was part of his peculiar delicacy
to ignore. Yet his reply showed that he
had been unconscious of the one miserable
secret that he might have read easily.
81 was there an hour or so-him and
me alone-dscussin' trade. | reckon he's
got good thing outer that curled horse
hair for see he's got in an invoice o.
cushions. I've stored them all in the for
rard bulkhead until he sends for 'em, ez
Mr.. Renshaw hez taken the loft"
| But although Mr.. Renshaw had taken
the loft, he did not seem in haste to occupy
it. He spent part of the morning in I'M
easily pacing his room, in occasional sal
lies into the street from which he pur-
poselessly returned, and once or twice in
distant and furtive contemplation of
Rosey at work in the galley This last
| observation was not unnotced by the
astute Mott, who at once conceived that he
was nourishing secret and hopeless pas
sion for Rosey, began to consider whether
it was not his duty to warn the young
man Of her preoccupied affections. But
Mr. Renshaws final disappearance obliged
l. n. u 1T. Al I
ing.
This time Mr.. Renshaw left the ship
with the evident determination of some
settled purpose. He walked rapidly until
he reached the counting house of Mr..
Sleight, when he was at once shown into
private Office. In n few moments Mr..
Sleight, n brusque but passionless man,
joined him.
"Well," said Sleight, closing the door
carefully. "What news?'
"None," said Renshaw bluntly. "Iook
here, Sleight," he added, turning to him
suddenly. LET me out Of this game.
don't like it,"
"Does that mean you've found moth
ingY" asked Sleight, sarcastically.
at means that / haven't looked for
anything, and that don't intend to with
out the full knowledge of that ID fool
who owns the ship"
"You'vc changed your mind since you
wrote that letter." said Sleight coolly,
producing from drawer the note already
known to the reader. Renshaw mechan-
ically extended his hand to take it. Mr..
Sleight dropped the letter back into the
drawer, which he quietly locked. The APP
parently simple act dyed Mr.. Renshaw's
| cheek with color, but it vanished quickly,
and with it any token of his previous en-
| barrassment, He looked at Sleight with
| the convinced air Of resolute man who
had at last taken disagreeabe step, but
was willing TO stand by the consequences.
81 have changed my mind" he said
coolly. 81 found out that it was one thing
| to go down there as skilled prospector
| might go to examine mine that was to
be valued according to his report of the in
dications but that it was entirely another
thing to so and play the spy in poor
DEVILS house in order to buy something he
didn't know he was selling, and wouldn't
sell if he did
"And something that the man he bought
of didn't think of selling; something he
himself never paid for and never expect
ed to buy" sneered Sleight.
"But something that we expect to buy
from our knowledge of all this, and it is
that which makes all the difference"
| "But you knew all this before"
| ~ never saw it In this light before! l
never thought Of it until l was living
there face to face with the old fool 1 was
intending to overreach. Inever was sure
of 1t until this morning, when he actually
turned out one Of his dodgers that might
have the very room ! required to play Of